Last week was officially graded as an “OK” for NFL on TV in the Portland-Metro Area. Will this week be any different? Let’s find out.
Here is what we have coming up for Week 7:
Thursday Night
Chiefs @ Broncos
I am always down to watch Patrick Mahomes play – especially if it is on a Thursday night. The Chiefs offense has sputtered a bit recently – and I am hoping they bounce back after a few losses. Like Tyreek Hill in the gif above – we are saying peace to the boring Thursday Night games we have had so far this year.
CBS Early
Raiders @ Packers
Gross. Jon Gruden and Aaron Rodgers in the same game. Who will the announcers gush over more?
Fox Early
49ers @ Redskins
This is an odd, yet intriguing game. The 49ers have been playing solid football so far this year. The Redskins are trash. This is the kind of game that I like to have on in the background on a Sunday morning while I’m doing other things.
Fox Late
Ravens @ Seahawks
Lamar Jackson is here to save us from another boring Seahawks game!
Sunday Night
Eagles @ Cowboys
I have had a good run of getting Dallas Cowboy football on TV – and we get another game this week. The Cowboys have been so frustrating to watch in the last few weeks – Jason Garrett needs to figure it out or start packing. I’ll be nervous watching this one.
Monday Night
Patriots @ Jets
The Jets looked good last week – they dominated the Cowboys. With Sam Darnold back – maybe this will be a decent game.
Wrap-Up
I am officially grading this as a “Solid” week of NFL action in Portland. I decided to take the grade up a bit – for the first time all season (I think) – we do not have to suffer through a Pittsburgh Steelers game.
Down goes Georgia! Wow! What a surprise that was. The South Carolina coaching staff did everything they could to gift that game back to the Georgia Bulldogs – somehow they still came away with the big upset.
Many contributors to Hefty Headlines were invited to participate in our Week 7 poll. For the first time ever, we had just four people participate:
Hefty Headlines Top 25 Poll: Week 7
We have a new #1 this week – the LSU Tigers. They jump four spots after defeating now #8 Florida. Our biggest drop went to #9 Georgia, who fell seven spots after their loss to unranked South Carolina. #5 Oklahoma also gained some ground after beating now #14 Texas.
Wake Forest, Memphis and Virginia are the three teams that dropped out of our top 25 – they were replaced by Minnesota, Appalachian State, Missouri and Tulane.
(We have 26 teams in our top 25 – Washington and Tulane are tied at #25)
Others receiving votes: Wake Forest 2, Cal 1, Temple 1, SDSU 1.
Voting Trends
Week 8 Picks
If The CFP Happened Today…
Would love to see Clemson play Ohio State or LSU or Alabama’s schedule. They would lose at least 2 games.
LSU has the most impressive resume – with wins over Texas and Florida. Ohio State looks unstoppable. Alabama is Alabama. Wisconsin is looking like a legit contender this year.
Not sure how LSU and Alabama works out but I’ll vote based on where they stand now. Oklahoma might squeak in.
I’d like to see a bigger playoff. All the conference winners should be invited.
Heisman Picks
Joe Burrow separated himself.
Joe Burrow has been consistent all year – he is leading a great LSU offense. 2,157 YDS, 25 TD, 3 INT. Jonathan Taylor has been elite from the backfield with 14 rushing TDs. Also, shout out to Israel Mukuamu for 3 INT in the big win over Georgia.
Tua for the win! Best team and best player. Although he did finally throw a pick.
Burrow is on my fantasy team so I’m not complaining.
Previous Weeks
Pre-Season: Trevor Lawrence – QB – Clemson
Week 1: Jalen Hurts – QB – Oklahoma
Week 2: Joe Burrow – QB – LSU
Week 3: Jalen Hurts – QB – Oklahoma AND Joe Burrow – QB – LSU
Week 4: Joe Burrow – QB – LSU
Week 5: Jalen Hurts – QB – Oklahoma
Week 6: Jalen Hurts – QB – Oklahoma
Final Week Seven Thoughts
Buzz: South Carolina gifted that game to Georgia and they still came out with the win. They should have punted instead of going for that 57 yard field goal. In the Wake Forest game – they came up with that onside kick towards the end of the game. Would have liked to have seen them with the ball and a chance to win.
Tommy Nuggets: Watch out Bama…LSU for real.
Klyde Frog:Even though they stink, UCLA played some good teams. Not like the SEC…
Wrap Up
Michigan @ Penn State has to be the game of the week for me. I am already looking ahead to next weekend – Wisconsin @ Ohio State, Auburn @ LSU, and Notre Dame @ Michigan.
QB1: Beyond the Lights is a reality/football show that is streaming on Netflix. In each season, camera crews follow three top football recruits through their senior year of high school. I look forward to this show every year – it helps bridge the gap between All or Nothing on Amazon, Last Chance U on Netflix, and Hard Knocks on HBO. It also reminds me a bit of MTV’s Two-A-Days from my teenage years. The part that has been missing from QB1 is a follow-up episode detailing what has happened with all of these players since their time on the show.
I am here to answer the question: Are the QB’s from QB1 still QB1’s?
Class of 2017
Jake Fromm – Georgia
Jake Fromm has started all but his first game throughout his Georgia career. Thanks to a Jacob Eason injury in the 2017 season opener – Fromm was vaulted into the starting QB job for the Bulldogs. Since then has solidified himself as one of the premier college QBs in the nation.
He led the Bulldogs to a College Football Playoff and National Championship appearance during his true freshman season. During that 2017 season, he led the Bulldogs to a 13-2 record. He showed he was a legit starter with his first college start on the road at Notre Dame. During that season the Bulldogs lost just twice – once to Auburn (a loss later avenged in the SEC title game). Their second loss came to Alabama in the national championship that season.
In 2018 Fromm led the bulldogs to a 11-3 record. They maintained a top 10 ranking throughout the entire season. They lost on the road at LSU and to Alabama in the SEC title game – before losing to Texas in the Sugar Bowl.
In 2019 the Bulldogs were the #3 ranked team through October 6th – but that fell to #10 following a surprise 2OT loss to South Carolina.
Year
School
Class
G
Cmp
Att
Pct
Yds
TD
Int
Rate
2017
Georgia
FR
15
181
291
62.2
2615
24
7
160.1
2018
Georgia
SO
14
207
307
67.4
2761
30
6
171.3
2019
Georgia
JR
6
114
162
70.4
1371
9
3
156.1
Verdict: Absolutely a QB1
Tayvone Bowers – Wake Forest
Bowers, now a Redshirt Sophomore, has seen action in just one game during his career at Wake Forest. During his Redshirt Freshman campaign he played 8 snaps against Towson – handing the ball off each time.
Verdict: No longer a QB1 – more like a QB4
Tate Martell – Ohio State
The Redshirt Sophomore has had quite the journey so far. He redshirted his first year at Ohio State and appeared in 6 games as a Redshirt Freshman.
Martell transferred in the spring of 2019 – likely as a result of Justin Fields announcing his transfer to Ohio State – finding himself at the University of Miami. He was granted immediate eligibility – and his transfer waiver was likely approved due to a coaching change in Columbus. He arrived in South Beach with high hopes – but finds himself behind two players on the QB depth chart – while also practicing at WR.
Year
School
Class
Pos
G
Cmp
Att
Pct
Yds
TD
Int
Rate
2017
Ohio State
FR
QB
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
2018
Ohio State
FR
QB
6
23
28
82.1
269
1
0
174.6
2019
Miami (FL)
SO
QB
2
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Verdict: No longer a QB1 – not even a WR1.
Class of 2018
Justin Fields – Georgia
Justin Fields played a limited role for the Georgia Bulldogs during his Freshman campaign. He was ultimately the backup to Jake Fromm – and playing time was hard to come by.
Justin Fields spent one year in Athens before transferring to Ohio State. Fields was allowed to transfer and play immediately – his reason for transferring was being the receipient of racist comments from a fellow Georgia Student-Athlete.
Fields was named the starter in Columbus and has looked unstoppable so far in 2019. He has become a legit Heisman contender after leading the Buckeyes to a 6-0 start.
Year
School
Class
Pos
G
Cmp
Att
Pct
Yds
TD
Int
Rate
2018
Georgia
FR
QB
12
27
39
69.2
328
4
0
173.7
2019
Ohio State
SO
QB
6
98
141
69.5
1298
18
1
187.5
Verdict: Absolutely a QB1
Sam Hartman – Wake Forest
Hartman earned the starting QB job as a True Freshman coming out of preseason camp in 2018. He was off to an impressive Freshman campaign until he broke his leg against Syracuse with four games left on the season.
Hartman lost the starting job to Jamie Newman following his injury – and had yet to appear in a game until this past week against Louisville.
Year
School
Class
Pos
G
Cmp
Att
Pct
Yds
TD
Int
Rate
2018
Wake Forest
FR
QB
9
161
291
55.3
1984
16
8
125.2
2019
Wake Forest
SO
QB
1
9
15
60
172
2
0
200.3
Verdict: Fringe QB1/QB2
Re-al Mitchell – Iowa State
In 2018, Mitchell appeared in one game – but was still able to earn a redshirt. Mitchell has appeared in 3 games for the cyclones in 2019. Besides his passing stats below, he has also rushed the ball 9 times for 92 yards and 1 score.
Year
School
Class
Pos
G
Cmp
Att
Pct
Yds
TD
Int
Rate
2018
Iowa State
FR
QB
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
2019
Iowa State
FR
QB
3
1
2
50
9
1
0
252.8
Verdict: No longer a QB1 – More like a QB3/4
D.J. Uiagalelei – Clemson
Uiagalelei was visible in the background of QB1 Season 2. He was the backup quarterback to Re-al Mitchell at St. John Bosco – eventually earning some playing time. Uiagalelei has ascended to the top of the recruiting charts – and is committed to the Clemson Tigers. He is the #1 QB for the class of 2020 and the #12 recruit overall.
Verdict: Future QB1
Class of 2019
Lance LeGendre – Maryland
LeGendre has made one appearance so far this season. He ran the ball twice for 30 yards in Maryland’s 79-0 win over Howard.
Year
School
Class
Pos
G
Att
Yds
Avg
TD
2019
Maryland
FR
QB
1
2
30
15
0
Verdict: No longer a QB1 – More like a QB3/4
Spencer Rattler – Oklahoma
The last time we saw Rattler, he did something sketchy and was ruled ineligible to play the remainder of his senior high school football season.
He arrived at Oklahoma and was immediately thrust into a battle for the starting QB job. Ultimately the job went to Jalen Hurts, and that has proven to be the correct decision so far.
Year
School
Class
Pos
G
Cmp
Att
Pct
Yds
TD
Int
Rate
2019
Oklahoma
FR
QB
2
6
8
75
73
1
0
192.9
Verdict: Future QB1 – Current QB3
JD Johnson – Michigan
JD Johnson was Rattler’s backup at Pinnacle High School. He is currently a 3-star recruit and has committed to play for Jim Harbaugh at Michigan. He is ranked as the #16 Pro-Style QB for the class of 2020 – and #389 overall.
Verdict: Poser QB1
Nik Scalzo – Kentucky
This has to be the least likable QB to appear on QB1 so far. The over-religious family, the Dad-Coach that really only cared about his son. A player focused on breaking school records. Scalzo’s year ended when he tore his ACL.
He arrived at Kentucky and tore the same ACL again – he is due to have surgery on the re-injured knee.
Verdict: QB-IR
Class of 2020
The next crop of players has been announced for the upcoming season of QB1:
Carson Beck – Georgia
A 4-star recruit out of Jacksonville, FL. He is the #5 pro-style QB in the class of 2020 – and ranked #149 overall.
Verdict: Future QB1
Bryce Young – Alabama
A 4-star recruit out of Santa Ana, CA. He is the #1 Dual-Threat QB in the class of 2020 – and ranked #31 overall.
Verdict: Future QB1
Anthony Richardson – Florida
A 4-star recruit out of Gainesville, FL. He is the #9 Dual-Threat QB in the class of 2020 – and ranked #263 overall.
Verdict: Future QB1
Wrap Up
Most of the players to appear on this show have found some playing time at the collegiate level. The most successful so far have been Fromm, Fields and Hartmann. Others, like Martell, seemed primed to make an immediate impact at the next level, but have hardly played. Regardless of what these guys have done so far, it will be interesting to see how their careers turn out.
I may be the worst gambler in the history of gambling. I currently have a 31-48-1 record. I am down nearly 20 units. If you want to win any money, you need to fade me. Do not follow my advice.
History
My first week of betting went fine. I only bet on NFL games. I went 8-6-1.
My second week was terrible. I went 9-21 on NFL and College games that week.
My third week was also awful – as I expanded into my fourth sport, soccer. I went 14-21 last weekend.
You all can read a graph – this is not looking good.
Overall, I have no idea what I am doing. Anyways – here are my picks for the upcoming weekend in sports:
College Football
So far this season – I have a 20-20-1 record with college football. This is my best sport, and I am still down a few units. Let’s get into the positive this week.
Appalachian State +2 @ Louisiana Lafayette
Virginia +2.5 @ Miami
Colorado +21 @ Oregon
Oklahoma @ Texas +11
Michigan -22.5 @ Illinois
Maryland @ Purdue +3
South Carolina @ Georgia -24.5
Memphis -6 @ Temple
Georgia Tech +17.5 @ Duke
Florida State +27 @ Clemson
Cincinnati -7.5 @ Houston
Washington State PK @ ASU
Alabama -16.5 @ Texas A&M
Michigan State @ Wisconsin -10.5
Iowa State @ West Virginia +10.5
Texas Tech @ Baylor -11
Army -5 @ Western Kentucky
Louisville @ Wake Forest -6.5
Penn State -3.5 @ Iowa
Nebraska +7.5 @ Minnesota
USC +11 @ Notre Dame
Florida +13.5 @ LSU
Hawaii +12 @ Boise State
Washington @ Arizona +6
NFL
I am 24-36-1 in NFL action this year. Yikes.
New York Giants @ New England -17
Carolina @ Tampa Bay +2.5
Houston @ Kansas City -5
Seattle -1.5 @ Cleveland
Cincinnati @ Baltimore -11.5
New Orleans +1 @ Jacksonville
Philadelphia +3 @ Minnesota
Washington -3.5 @ Miami
San Francisco +3 @ Los Angeles Rams
Atlanta -2.5 @ Arizona
Dallas -7.5 @ New York Jets
Tennessee +2 @ Denver
Pittsburgh @ Los Angeles Chargers -7
Detroit +4.5 @ Green Bay
Fútbol
I am 4-9 in Fútbol this year.
Barcelona -1.25 @ EIB
West Ham United @ Everton -0.5
Bayern Munich -2.25 @ AUG
Newcastle @ Chelsea -1.5
Burnley @ Leicester -1
Watford @ Tottenham -1.25
Valencia @ Atletico Madrid -0.75
MGB +1.25 @ Borussia Dortmund
Bologna @ Juventus -1.5
Real Madrid -1.25 @ MRC
Dallas @ Seattle -0.75
Portland +0.25 @ Real Salt Lake
Inter Milan -0.75 @ SAS
Liverpool -0.75 @ Manchester United
Los Angeles Galaxy +0.5 @ Minnesota
u
Wrap Up
Good luck out there. Remember – you’ve got to spend money to make money.
Wow, what a wild weekend – especially for us fans of the Miami Hurricanes. I am so disappointed they could not pull out a comeback victory against Virginia Tech. What a let down. Anyways, we are on to a new week, here we go:
Many contributors to Hefty Headlines were invited to participate in our Week 6 poll. For the first time ever, we had six people participate:
Hefty Headlines Top 25 Poll: Week 6
The Alabama Crimson Tide maintain their #1 status – however – Georgia, Ohio State, Clemson, and LSU also received a first place vote. Clemson fell all the way to #4, being passed by Georgia and Ohio State. Auburn fell out of the top ten after losing to Florida this past weekend.
UCF and Oklahoma State are the two teams that dropped out of our top 25 – they were replaced by Cincinnati and Memphis.
Others receiving votes: Texas A&M 10, Memphis 10, Cal 7, Army 4, Michigan State 6, Minnesota 3, Appalachian State 2, BYU 1, Hawaii 1, Arizona 1.
Voting Trends
Week 6 Picks
If The CFP Happened Today…
LSU – beat Texas and has not stumbled against lesser teams. Ohio State – best win was over #25 Michigan State, but the Buckeyes look impressive. Florida – beat Auburn who beat A&M and Oregon. Wisconsin – Destroyed Michigan and is steamrolling everyone they play with Big 10 football.
There are legit 8 Teams that deserve a real playoff shot with “0” or “1” quality loss: Ohio State, Alabama, LSU, Georgia, Clemson, Oklahoma, Auburn, Florida
SEC will beat itself up. Wouldn’t be surprised if Bama or Georgia lost and still got in.
Maybe we should have a raffle for the 4 spots in the CFP. That would be more exciting.
Heisman Picks
Will a runningback win the Heisman this year? Chuba Hubbard and Jonathan Taylor are legit.
All aboard the Chase Young Train! Come on people, let’s be progressive and stop suppressing the best player in the country just because he is an unblock-able force on…”DEFENSE”
Red River Rivalry will showcase Jalen as the frontrunner
Tua with 23 TDs and no picks…will need to keep doing it in their big games like Burrow has for LSU.
It’s Jalen’s to lose
I think Burrow may throw 100 TDs this year.
Previous Weeks
Pre-Season: Trevor Lawrence – QB – Clemson
Week 1: Jalen Hurts – QB – Oklahoma
Week 2: Joe Burrow – QB – LSU
Week 3: Jalen Hurts – QB – Oklahoma AND Joe Burrow – QB – LSU
Week 4: Joe Burrow – QB – LSU
Week 5: Jalen Hurts – QB – Oklahoma
Final Week Three Thoughts
Buzz: Miami is such a disappointment this season. That was such a wild game, and for them to throw away that amazing comeback was heartbreaking. DeeJay Dallas is a stud.
Tommy Nuggets: Shaping up to be The Ohio State v. The SEC. Big 12 will beat itself up, Pac-12 is poo-poo, Clemson plays in the FCS.
Klyde Frog: Michigan is really boring to watch.
Stormin Mormin’: I read an article saying BYU has a 6% chance at making a NY6 bowl even after losing to Toledo. Hope restored.
Bix: Seasons over, uw sucks.
Chamby: Penn State 👀
Wrap Up
Two HUGE games next week. Oklahoma vs Texas and Florida vs LSU. Should set us up for some movement in our polls, especially our top ten.
Last week was a pretty decent week for NFL on TV in the Portland-Metro Area. I did botch the schedule though, we ended up with the Raiders and Bears in London instead of Vikings @ Giants like I projected.
Here is what we have coming up for Week 6:
Thursday Night
Giants @ Patriots
Not the worst game to get on TV. A rematch of a couple memorable Super Bowls. Will be interesting to see the Giants play the Patriots with Daniel Jones under center instead of Eli Manning. It is really unfortunate that Saquon Barkley is likely out for this game.
CBS Early
Texans @ Chiefs
Mahomes vs Watson. I’m all in on this game.
Fox Early
Seahawks @ Browns
The Browns were awful last night. The Seahawks look pretty solid. I will be watching the other game anyways.
CBS Late
Cowboys @ Jets
The Cowboys need to bounce back after consecutive losses. I am looking forward to this offense playing against the terrible Jets.
C
Sunday Night
Steelers @ Chargers
Who decided this game should be in primetime?
Monday Night
Lions @ Packers
I hate the Packers. I will be pulling for the Lions in this one. Hoping for a wild west shootout on Monday Night.
Wrap-Up
I am officially grading this as an “OK” week of NFL action in Portland. They took a pretty big dump on us with the primetime matchups. Of course the Patriots, Steelers and Packers all find themselves playing in those game.
I have always loved the Dallas Cowboys. I wore my Emmitt Smith and Troy Aikman jerseys until the numbers wore off. I suffered through Quincy Carter, Vinny Testaverde and Drew Bledsoe. I saw hope with Tony Romo. And now I see a second coming. We have Dak Prescott, Ezekiel Elliott, and Amari Cooper. A modern version of the triplets.
The time has come to bring this dynasty back – and I am going to get a head start. In my next Madden 2020 Franchise I will assume ownership of the Dallas Cowboys.
Here is the team we are starting with:
The rules I will play by:
All-Pro
8 Min Quarters
All trades enabled
Injuries on
Accelerated Clock to 20 seconds
Manual roster control
Relocation turned off
Time to get into it. If you have followed my work before – you know a roster shakeup is about to happen. To remind everyone – I am playing within the world that I am in. If trades seem unrealistic to you – this is a video game.
Preseason Roster
Staff
Jason Garrett is our head coach. He is only signed through the 2019 season. I am in no rush to sign him to a long term extension. I have not been impressed with his playoff success. He is coaching for his job this season.
I decided to let go of our current Scout and Trainer. I signed Tony Dubb to be our lead scout. He specializes in scouting QBs and may prove valuable if we are unable to sign Dak Prescott to an extension. For our trainer we decided to go with Dan Winters – he is a world class trainer and should help get our injured guys back on the field.
Offense
We are starting the year with a great team on the offensive side of the ball. I have one of the best Offensive Lines in the game, but have room to improve at LG. Connor Williams is a solid guard but I think I can do better. We have Jason Witten as our TE, but he is coming back from a year in the booth and getting pretty old. I like the depth that we have at the WR position – Cooper, Cobb and Gallup are a solid trio of receivers. In the backfield we have Ezekiel Elliot and his newly signed long-term contract. Tony Pollard is his backup and provides a good receiving option out of the backfield. I would like to get a better lead-blocker at fullback, I will have to take a look and see what I can do there. The backup QB spot is also an area of need. I do not trust Cooper Rush to lead this offense if Dak Prescott goes down.
Defense
I like the pieces that we have on defense, and with a few additions we could be great. DeMarcus Lawrence is a stud on the Defensive Line – he leads a solid group with Collins, Gregory, and Crawford. We have two of the best young linebackers in all of football with Jaylon Smith and Leighton Vander Esch. Byron Jones is a star on defense – we need to build around him and improve our secondary.
Roster Moves
I have never really been a fan of Sean Lee. He is a good player, but he is always hurt. As an aging linebacker carrying a high salary – I’d like to move him for a player that fits my vision of this team a little better.
PLAYER
POS
CAP
TO
FOR
POS
CAP
Sean Lee
ROLB
$6.01M
IND
Quentin Nelson
LG
$1M
Antwuan Woods
DT
$570K
2020 Round 4
2020 Round 7
Quentin Nelson is one of the best young lineman in the game. He makes our offensive line even better – slotting in between Smith and Frederick.
Next, I need a young TE to groom behind Jason Witten. The Eagles have a surplus at that position – I am going to see what it takes to get Dallas Goedert.
PLAYER
POS
CAP
TO
FOR
POS
CAP
Joe Thomas
MLB
$2M
PHI
Dallas Goedert
TE
$150K
Kerry Hyder
LE
$590K
2020 Round 4
Giving up two backups and a 4th round pick for a young TE with upside seems like a good deal for me.
On the defensive side of the ball – I need a SS. Jeff Heath is a gutsy player, but he isn’t talented enough to be a core member of our secondary. Sitting in Free Agency is Eric Berry. I also notice that there is a solid young QB that I can pickup to backup Dak – for now.
PLAYER
POS
YRS
SAL
Eric Berry
SS
1
$5.75M
Tyree Jackson
QB
1
$2.15M
I also noticed a few other players in free agency that are very tempting to sign – but came with some concerns:
Antonio Brown – recently released by the Patriots amid sexual assault and harassment accusations. Release by the Raiders due to character issues.
Dez Bryant – I love Dez. I want him back with the Cowboys. Looking at the current way my team is built, I do not need a big receiver like him.
Andrew Luck – he already retired once this year. The CPU will sign him – once he is signed I will edit his stats so they release him.
As a new owner I am going to avoid these players – the talent is there, but it is not worth risking team chemistry of the happiness of my fan base.
Now I need to go out and find a better fullback. I really like what Patrick Ricard does in Baltimore. He is relatively young at 25 years old – and is one of the best lead blockers in the game.
PLAYER
POS
CAP
TO
FOR
POS
CAP
Tyrone Crawford
RE
$7M
BAL
Patrick Ricard
FB
$150K
Connor Williams
LG
$730K
Matthew Judon
LOLB
$1.51M
2020 Round 2
2021 Round 6
This was a big trade – I gave up a bit. Tyrone Crawford is a good player – but not as good as his salary. Connor Williams was a nice piece to have as a backup – acquiring Nelson made Williams expendable. I also had to throw in a 2nd round pick – this was a positive net gain to get my new starting FB and ROLB.
Matthew Judon moved to ROLB.
I have no idea why I feel the need to make this next move. I am setting out to acquire Taysom Hill. I don’t know what position I will play him at yet, but I like his versatility.
PLAYER
POS
CAP
TO
FOR
POS
CAP
Lance Lenoir
WR
$570K
NO
Taysom Hill
QB
$130K
My next group of moves is aimed at acquiring high end draft picks for 2020. I am going to move players with expensive contracts – or players that are easily replaceable.
PLAYER
POS
CAP
TO
FOR
POS
CAP
Robert Quinn
RE
$6M
ARI
2020 Round 1
Christian Covington
DT
$940K
2021 Round 4
PLAYER
POS
CAP
TO
FOR
POS
CAP
Maliek Collins
DT
$2.05M
CAR
2020 Round 1
2020 Round 3
PLAYER
POS
CAP
TO
FOR
POS
CAP
Jameson Olawale
FB
$500K
TEN
2020 Round 3
Dalton Schultz
TE
$570K
In all, I moved Robert Quinn, Christian Covington, Maliek Collins, Jameson Olawale, Dalton Schultz and a 3rd round pick in 2020. I was able to acquire two 1st round picks and a 3rd round pick in 2020, plus a 4th round pick in 20201.
At this point there are not many pieces left that I am willing to trade. I need to sign a few free agents to fill my roster.
PLAYER
POS
YRS
SAL
Clint Boling
RG
1
$4.68M
William Hayes
LE
1
$7.35M
Muhammad Wilkerson
LE
1
$6.75M
Brandon Marshall
ROLB
1
$3.85M
Clint Boling moved to LT.
William Hayes moved to DT.
Muhammad Wilkerson moved to DT.
Brandon Marshall moved to LOLB.
Taysom Hill moved to HB.
Preseason Week 1 – Cowboys @ 49ers
W 21-20
Preseason Week 2 – Cowboys @ Rams
L 24-30
Muhammad Wilkerson will be out 2 weeks with a shoulder tear.
Antonio Brown signed with Green Bay for $10.1M.
Andrew Luck signed with Denver for $17.2M (attributes have been edited so he will be dropped)
Austin Ekeler traded to Tampa Bay.
Jason Pierre Paul traded to Pittsburgh.
Preseason Week 3 – Texans @ Cowboys
W 28-21
Dez Bryant signed with Cincinnati for $7.06M.
Preseason Week 4 – Buccaneers @ Cowboys
W 35-28
Taysom Hill purchased #7 from Cooper Rush, who will now wear #5.
Team Captains: Dak Prescott, Zack Martin, Travis Frederick, Byron Jones, Jaylon Smith, and DeMarcus Lawrence.
Week 1 – Giants @ Cowboys
Updated Depth Chart
As we head into the regular season – this team is ready to roll. We have one of the best teams in the league on paper. Over the course of the season there are a few contract negotiations that need to be figure out – Dak Prescott, Amari Cooper, Patrick Ricard, Matthew Judon, Anthony Brown, Randall Cobb, and Jason Witten are all looking for new deals. Our priority will be Prescott and Cooper, getting the others would be a bonus.
We open the season at home against the New York Giants.
Game Time
The offense didn’t seem to have an issue all game long. The Giants were unable to force us to a punt the entire day. The first touchdown of the season was a pass from Dak Prescott to Randall Cobb. Prescott was consistent all day – he looked like a savvy veteran. The lone dark spot of the game today was the injury to Ezekiel Elliot – who broke multiple ribs. Tony Pollard and Taysom Hill filled in just fine – but who knows how this will impact the squad throughout the season.
Stats
Dak Prescott – 19/26, 271 YDS, 4 TD
Tony Pollard – 11 ATT, 61 YDS, 1 REC, 12 YDS, TD
Michael Gallup – 6 REC, 115 YDS, 2 TD
Jason Witten – 6 REC, 56 YDS
Randall Cobb – 3 REC 39 YDS, TD
Brett Maher – 2/3 FG, 62 LNG
Jaylon Smith – 10 TAK, 1 INT (NFC Defensive Player of the Week)
Week 2 – Cowboys @ Redskins
The Redskins scored first, but the Cowboys answered immediately. Tony Pollard took a toss to the right, juked Josh Norman out of his shoes, and scampered up the sideline for a 75 yard TD.
This turned out to be a weird game. Nobody played particularly poorly, but nobody played great either. The downfall was the amount of turnovers we had – Ezekiel Elliot was sorely missed in the backfield and Pollard showed his youth with two fumbles.
We head into this week at 1-1. We should be 2-0. I have a number of players that a ready to negotiate contracts, but I need to take care of Dak Prescott first. This is also the first chance I have to take a look at college players. This is a big draft for me, as I have three first round picks at the moment.
The top of the board is heavy with positions I am looking to fill in the offseason. I am not planning on re-signing Matthew Judon at ROLB – so I will see how versatile the LB class is. I also could use an upgrade at FS over Xavier Woods. The DE prospects also show some good potential – and could be great to pair with DeMarcus Lawrence. The interesting thing in this draft class is the WR class. Vincent Diggs is projected to go high, and could be a target if I decide to move on from Amari Cooper.
Game Time
Tony Pollard opened up scoring again with a long run. This was a 54 yard toss around the left side of the field. He once again used his patented juke move to get into the open field. The ground game was incredible through the first half.
Late in the 4th quarter – the Cowboys found themselves down 27-24. Tony Pollard helped grab the lead for good with his 3rd rushing touchdown of the game.
Stats
Dak Prescott – 15/24, 174 YDS 1 TD, 1 INT
Tony Pollard – 15 ATT, 147 YDS, 3 TD
Taysom Hill – 6 ATT, 44 YDS
Amari Cooper – 8 REC, 119 YDS, 1 TD
DeMarcus Lawrence – 9 TAK, 2.5 SK (NFC Defensive Player of the Week)
Week 4 – Cowboys @ Saints
This is a big week for us. Dak Prescott is ready to negotiate his contract. A fair offer is a 6 year contract for $108M with a $74.4M signing bonus – for a total of $183M – or about $30M a season.
I decided to not mess around. I went ahead and offered 6 years for $114M with a $78M signing bonus – a total of $192M. He accepted the deal – glad we did not have an awkward back and forth. Now we don’t have to worry about this contract anymore.
The next guy I wanted to re-sign was Patrick Ricard. A good fullback is hard to come by. A fair offer is 3 years for a total of just under $9M. I didn’t want to mess around and offered him 3 years for an even $9M and he took it.
Next on my list was Byron Jones. The NFL is a passing league, and you need a lockdown corner for the superstar receivers. Jones was seeking 3 years at $46.4M. I went ahead and gave him 3 years at $48.5M.
Then we came to Amari Cooper. I’ve decided that if I can build around him and Gallup at WR then I will be set for years to come. A fair offer is 4 years at $61.6M. I am the Dallas Cowboys, I need to overpay a little bit. Four years for $64M.
Game Time
The ground game was strong in New Orleans this weekend. Taysom Hill came out to play – and showed the Saints that they were wrong to trade him. He scored on the ground three times on the day. He was not even the Cowboys the most prolific runner for the Cowboys – that was Tony Pollard, who rushed for 174 yards.
Looking at the rest of the players looking to re-sign for the future, many are not in my plans with the amount of money they are seeking.
Matthew Judon is looking for $35M over 3 years.
Jason Witten is looking for $6.5M next year.
Randall Cobb is looking for $21M over 3 years.
Anthony Brown is looking for $28M over 4 years.
Now is the time where I have to make a decision for my organization. These players are all playing a key role for me this season. Is there any way that I can move these players in a way that will help me now AND in the future?
I already came to terms with Witten no longer playing football when he left for the Monday Night Football booth. I can play Dallas Goedert as our primary TE for the rest of the season – I will need to pick up another TE though.
PLAYER
POS
CAP
TO
FOR
POS
CAP
Jason Witten
TE
$4.25K
NYJ
2020 Round 1
2020 Round 3
2021 Round 4
This is a pretty sweet deal. I lose a few mid-round picks but I think there is a lot of value in the first round in this draft class.
Next up is Randall Cobb.
PLAYER
POS
CAP
TO
FOR
POS
CAP
Randall Cobb
WR
$2.56M
SEA
2020 Round 1
2020 Round 4
The Seahawks are always looking for WR depth. I like this move for me. Randall Cobb is good, but not at his asking price for next year.
Anthony Brown is my next player on the move – I just re-signed Byron Jones and can find a replacement for Brown pretty easily.
PLAYER
POS
CAP
TO
FOR
POS
CAP
Anthony Brown
CB
$2.05M
CIN
2020 Round 1
2021 Round 3
This is crazy. What were the Bengals thinking?
Next I decided to get rid of Matthew Judon, who I just picked up a few weeks ago. With all of the players I am re-signing I don’t have $12M a year for my 3rd best linebacker.
PLAYER
POS
CAP
TO
FOR
POS
CAP
Matthew Judon
ROLB
$1M
NYG
2020 Round 1
2020 Round 3
2021 Round 5
Well, it is safe to say we made some moves for the future of this franchise. I acquired four more first round picks while moving those four veterans. I now have a total of seven first round picks in 2020 (NYG, CIN, NYJ, CAR, SEA, DAL, ARI). I now need to acquire a slot receiver, a secondary TE, a ROLB, and an additional CB – to get me through the 2019 season.
At corner we have Jordan Lewis at 3rd on our depth chart. He is serviceable – I think that will work for us this year. Brandon Marshall has stepped in at ROLB. I now have a big hole left at TE, and Tavon Austin is our slot.
PLAYER
POS
CAP
TO
FOR
POS
CAP
2021 Round 4
IND
Jack Doyle
TE
$5.08M
I have no idea why the Colts were looking to move on from Jack Doyle, but he instantly steps in to start for us at TE.
The Browns have Antonio Callaway on the block – he would be a good fit to replace Randall Cobb.
PLAYER
POS
CAP
TO
FOR
POS
CAP
2021 Round 2
CLE
Anotnio Callaway
WR
$30K
2020 Round 6
I probably overpaid a little bit – oh well.
Injured TE Jake Butt was also on the block.
PLAYER
POS
CAP
TO
FOR
POS
CAP
2021 Round 6
DEN
Jake Butt
TE
$80K
2021 Round 6
I used a few late round picks to add to our TE depth here.
I then looked to Free Agency to add the final pieces we needed.
PLAYER
POS
YRS
SAL
Will Tye
TE
1
$1.35M
Frankie Luvu
LOLB
1
$1.85M
OK – I think that is good for roster moves for now. I was able to hang on to all seven first round picks in 2020, and my first round pick in 2021. Jack Doyle steps in for Jason Witten, and is actually an upgrade. Antonio Callaway is our slot. Brandon Marshall is our ROLB and Jordan Lewis is our 3rd corner.
Jack Doyle will wear #84.
Antonio Callaway purchased #11 from Cedrick Wilson – he will wear #16.
Game Time
Ezekiel Elliot returned in a home game against the Packers. The offense was rolling in the beginning of the game. We scored on our first two possessions – both of which ended with touchdown passes to Michael Gallup. The offense stalled a bit in the second half, and the defense helped out. Eric Berry scored on a pick six from 45 yards out. The Packers were never really a threat in this game.
Eric Berry – 3 TAK, 2 INT, 1 TD (NFC Defensive Player of the Week)
Week 6 – Cowboys @ Jets
A few turnovers and an offense that was not clicking took us into halftime with at a 21-14 deficit. The score was 28-17 heading into the 4th quarter. On the first play of that quarter, Dak Prescott went deep down the sideline to Amari Cooper, who made a great catch over the CB in the endzone to bring the game within one score. We then converted on teh two point conversion to make it 28-25.
We got the ball back at our own one yard line with three minutes left, still down three points. After getting a few first downs, Dak found Tony Pollard on a wheel route out of the backfield for a 48 yard TD to get us in the lead for good.
Stats
Dak Prescott – 23/28, 376 YDS, 3 TD, 1 INT
Ezekiel Elliott – 21 ATT, 85 YDS, 1 TD
Amari Cooper – 6 REC, 87 YDS, 1 TD
Jack Doyle – 5 REC, 42 YDS, 1 TD
Antonio Callaway – 5 REC, 83 YDS
Michael Gallup – 4 REC, 68 YDS
Tony Pollard – 1 REC, 48 YDS, TD
Week 7 – Eagles @ Cowboys
The Eagles jumped out to an early 10-0 lead. We clawed back with a touchdown to Amari Cooper at the beginning of the second quarter. After holding the Eagles to a FG, we worked our way down the field and scored on a pass to Tavon Austin – grabbing a 14-13 lead going into halftime.
With the game tied at 21-21 we had the ball in the Red Zone in the 4th quarter. We decided to go for it on a QB sneak. We were ruled short of the first down marker, and after an unsuccessful challenge the eagles got the ball. They scored, grabbing the lead with 3:22 left.
Dak threw a pick 6. Damn. Game Over.
Stats
Dak Prescott – 16/21, 213 YDS, 2 TD, 1 INT
Ezekiel Elliott – 12 ATT, 111 YDS, 1 TD
Amari Cooper – 4 REC, 79 YDS, 1 TD
Week 9 – Cowboys @ Giants
The Giants got the ball to start the game and scored right away. On our first drive, we marched down the field without any problems – only to fumble at the New York 3 yard line. Our next possession was more exciting – and was capped by a one handed Michael Gallup TD catch. After the Giants scored again to go up 14-7, Tony Pollard evened things up with a 50 yard run up the gut. Our defense was finally able to hold the G-Men, and we went into halftime after kicking a field goal up 17-14.
Deep into the 3rd quarter Ezekiel Elliott found himself injured for the second time this season. He left the game with a high ankle sprain. We scored on a pass to Gallup on the next play.
Our defense could not stop the Giants, and with the score now at 24-21, we were able to find the endzone again. Dak took a broken play and scrambled up the left sideline for a rushing TD. Our defense finally made a stop and we moved the ball down the field easily, putting the game out of reach with a Tony Pollard TD.
Chidobe Awuzie – 7 TAK, 2 FF, 1 FR (NFC Defensive Player of the Week)
Week 10 – Vikings @ Cowboys
In the 2nd quarter – we were looking at a 10-0 deficit following a pick six.. We were able to march down and score on a quick slant from Dak to Amari. We got the ball back and scored again to go into halftime up 14-10. A touchdown to Antonio Callaway put us up 21-10 in the 3rd quarter. Another touchdown to Cooper put the game out of hand at 28-10. The final score was 49-17.
The Patriots jumped out to an early 13-0 lead on a rainy night in Foxboro. Near the end of the second quarter, Jason Garrett decided to go for in on 4th and goal, and Michael Gallup was able to haul in a pass from Dak Prescott for a TD.
With 20 seconds left in the game – down 8 – Dak Prescott found Tavon Austin on a post for a 66 yard TD. Our two point attempt was unsuccessful. We lost 29-31.
Stats
Dak Prescott – 21/32, 369 YDS, 3 TD, 3 INT
Ezekiel Elliott – 11 ATT, 51 YDS, 1 TD
Amari Cooper – 7 REC, 136 YDS
Michael Gallup – 5 REC, 64 YDS, 2 TD
Tavon Austin – 1 REC, 66 YDS, 1 TD
Jaylon Smith – 10 TAK
Week 13 – Bills @ Cowboys
The 9-3 Bill rolled into town and didn’t put up much of a fight. We jumped out to a 28-0 lead and our offense stalled from there. The final score of this one was 35-17.
The Chicago defense was killing us in the first half – collecting nine sacks. Somehow we still went into halftime with a 17-16 lead. The sacks continued in the second half – and we took the lead late in the fourth quarter 24 -19. With 1:43 left, the bears went up 27-24. With 0:36 left, Dak found Amari in the endzone to put us up 31-27.
Stats
Dak Prescott – 16/24, 257 YDS, 3 TD
Ezekiel Elliott – 12 ATT, 97 YDS
Taysom Hill – 1 ATT, 14 YDS, 1 TD
Amari Cooper – 5 REC, 60 YDS, 2 TD
Antonio Callaway – 4 REC, 72 YDS
Byron Jones – 11 TKL, 1 INT
Khalil Mack (Bears) – 8 TAK, 7 SACKS (NFC Defensive Player of the Week)
Tavon Austin suffered a torn ACL.
PLAYER
POS
YRS
SAL
Emanuel Hall
WR
1
$1.45M
Week 15 – Rams @ Cowboys
We rolled into halftime up 21-13. In the second half the squad pulled away and dominated the Los Angeles defense. The final score was 42-27.
Stats
Dak Prescott – 17/20, 311 YDS, 4 TD (NFC Offensive Player of the Week)
Ezekiel Elliott – 20 ATT, 84 YDS, 2 TD
Tony Pollard – 1 REC, 13 YDS, 1 TD
Michael Gallup – 5 REC, 78 YDS, 1 TD
Amari Cooper – 4 REC, 58 YDS
Antonio Callaway – 3 REC, 113 YDS, 1 TD
Aaron Donald (Rams) – 7 TAK, 5 SACKS (NFC Defensive Player of the Week)
Week 16 – Cowboys @ Eagles
We are currently 11-3 and have clinched at least a wildcard playoff spot. A win on the road here would clinch the NFC East and a first round bye.
Game Time
We started the game off with a solid drive, and capped it off with a Tayson Hill rushing TD. Our ground game was dominant – which was fitting for the weather. We took home a 36-19 victory.
Stats
Dak Prescott – 16/25, 267 YDS, 2 TD
Ezekiel Elliott – 12 ATT, 101 YDS, 2 TD, 6 REC, 87 YDS (NFC Offensive Player of the Week)
Antonio Callaway – 3 REC, 54 YDS, 1 TD
Chidobe Awuzie – 13 TAK
Week 17 – Redskins @ Cowboys
I have never believed in resting your starters. I think it is better to keep the momentum going than to give players time off. Keep the schedule and routine the same. We are also still playing for home field advantage – I am going to let my starters go out and have some fun this week.
Game Time
This turned out to be quite the shootout in the first half. Dak and the boys took a 24-20 lead into halftime. The final score reflected that of a Big 12 game, and the Cowboys won 52-45.
Stats
Dak Prescott – 16/24, 445 YDS, 6 TD (NFC Offensive Player of the Week)
Ezekiel Elliott – 16 ATT, 125 YDS, 1 TD
Amari Cooper – 4 REC, 173 YDS, 2 TD
Antonio Callaway – 5 REC, 136 YDS, 3 TD
Devin Smith – 2 REC, 54 YDS, 1 TD
Jaylon Smith – 11 TKL
Season Stats
*= NFL Leader
Offense
Passing
Name
YARDS
COMP
ATT
TD
INT
COMP%
RATING
LONG
Dak Prescott
4,453
266
365
48*
11
72%
140.6*
94*
Rushing
Name
ATT
YARDS
AVG
TD
LONG
Ezekiel Elliott
200
1,280
6.4
13
61
Tony Pollard
88
644
7.3
7
75
Dak Prescott
37
293
7.9
1
31
Taysom Hill
22
148
6.7
5
27
Receiving
Name
REC
YARDS
AVG
TD
LONG
Amari Cooper
76
1,307
17.2
11
75
Michael Gallup
59
1,043
17.7
15*
94*
Antonio Callaway
35
642
18.3
6
71
Jack Doyle
27
363
13.4
2
31
Ezekiel Elliott
23
318
13.8
3
46
Tony Pollard
10
181
18.1
3
48
Tavon Austin
4
108
27.0
4
66
Devin Smith
4
78
19.5
2
38
Dallas Goedert
4
73
18.3
1
24
Will Tye
1
26
26.0
0
26
Noah Brown
1
13
13.0
0
13
Taysom Hill
1
13
13.0
0
13
Defense
Name
TAK
TFL
SACK
INT
Leighton Vander Esch
115
5
2.0
0
Jaylon Smith
112
2
2.0
2
Byron Jones
108
1
1.0
3
Chidobe Awuzie
106
4
0.0
2
Eric Berry
83
2
0.0
4
Xavier Woods
76
3
0.0
1
DeMarcus Lawrence
61
18
10.5
0
Jourdan Lewis
59
0
0.0
5
Muhammad Wilkerson
58
8
6.0
0
William Hayes
55
8
7.0
0
Randy Gregory
50
11
5.5
0
C.J. Goodwin
14
0
0.0
0
Brandon Marshall
11
0
0.0
0
Darian Thompson
9
0
0.0
0
Justin March
4
0
0.0
0
Trysten Hill
4
2
1.0
0
Dorance Armstrong
3
0
0.0
0
Kavon Frazier
3
0
0.0
0
Luke Gifford
3
0
0.0
0
Frankie Luvu
1
0
0.0
0
Kicking
Name
FGM
FGA
FG%
FG LNG
XPM
XPA
Brett Maher
10
13
76%
62*
71*
71*
Season Awards
MVP – Dak Prescott Coach of the Year – Jason Garrett OPOY – Dak Prescott DPOY – Khalil Mack (Bears) OROY – Kyler Murray (Cardinals) DROY – Montez Sweat (Redskins) Best QB – Dak Prescott Best RB – Todd Gurley II (Rams) Best WR – Antonio Brown (Packers) Best OL – Zack Martin Best DL – Trey Flowers (Lions) Best LB – Khalil Mack (Bears) Best DB – Desmond Trufant (Falcons) Best K – Matt Bryant (Falcons)
Our offense was sputtering in the first quarter – our best play was a punt that was downed inside the 5 yard line. At halftime we were down 13-3.
A 56 yard field goal brought us within 10 late in the 3rd quarter – 16-6. Down 23-6 in the 4th quarter – a solid drive brought us into the endzone bringing the score to 23-13. The Lions scored again to go up 26-13. We were unable to keep the ball moving with less than 2 minutes left and turned the ball over on downs. This was an embarrassing loss for the franchise. Our receivers dropped the ball 5 times.
Stats
Dak Prescott – 17/28, 229 YDS, 1 TD, 2 INT
Ezekiel Elliott – 10 ATT, 26 YDS
Amari Cooper – 3 REC, 60 YDS
Jaylon Smith – 10 TKL
Conference Championships
Patriots 27 @ Ravens24 Lions 0 @ Falcons 31
Despite the loss, we decided to re-sign Jason Garrett to a three year contract extension.
Pro Bowl
Super Bowl
Falcons 35 @ Patriots 32
Offseason Re-Sign Period
There were many veterans that I wanted to re-sign: Eric Berry, Jack Doyle, Taysom Hill, etc. I decided it was best to let them walk and see what kind of roster I could put together after the draft.
Offseason Free Agency Week 1
Looking at our rosters, our biggest needs are on the defensive side of the ball. We need a starting ROLB and SS. Our only DT is Trysten Hill – we need to beef up there as well. On offense we need a slot WR.
As it stands we have -$5.94 M in cap room. I need to move a few overpriced players to get under the cap. Cameron Fleming is making $5.25M in 2020, Trey Edmunds $850K, and Cody Wichman $740K. I also have 10 WRs, so I can trim some of the fat there.
PLAYER
POS
CAP
TO
FOR
POS
CAP
Jon’vea Johnson
WR
$590K
DEN
2020 Round 5
Damore’ea Stringfellow
WR
$460K
Simmie Cobbs Jr.
WR
$460K
It was nice to get something for three players I would have cut from the team anyways.
PLAYER
POS
CAP
TO
FOR
POS
CAP
Cameron Fleming
RT
$4.5M
ATL
2020 Round 1
Trey Edmunds
HB
$850K
2020 Round 5
This is unbelievable. I know it is the last pick in the first round – but still, what are they thinking?
Offseason Free Agency Week 2
Nothing happened.
Offensive Free Agency Week 3
Nothing happened.
Offseason Free Agency Week 4
I always offer terrible contracts to the better players available in the last week of free agency. Luckily, one of them wanted to sign with us:
PLAYER
POS
AGE
YRS
CONTRACT
Derrick Henry
HB
26
5
$2.75M
What a deal! I have an incredible backfield put together for 2020. The only issue will be finding enough carries for all of my RBs.
Around The League
Nelson Agholor – 4 years $43.9M Bills
Jordan Howard – 5 years $29M Bills
Antonio Brown – 3 years $57.3M Texans
Kareem Hunt – 5 years $38.9M Redskins
Josh Gordon – 3 years $29.7M Colts
Lamar Miller 4 years $30.5M Titans
Emmanuel Sanders – 3 years $36.1M Cardinals
2020 NFL Draft
Heading into the NFL Draft we have a ton of work ahead of us. We have the following picks in 2020:
Round 1 – Pick 4 (NYG)
Round 1 – Pick 10 (CIN)
Round 1 – Pick 14 (CAR)
Round 1 – Pick 17 (SEA)
Round 1 – Pick 18 (NYJ)
Round 1 – Pick 24 (ARI)
Round 1 – Pick 28
Round 1 – Pick 32 (ATL)
Round 6 – Pick 187 (CLE)
So we have eight, yes EIGHT first round picks. I know that my defense needs the most work. If I can hit it big on a few picks we will be a Super Bowl contender once again. If I miss on these picks, I am setting my franchise back decades.
The #1 player on my board is USC Free Safety Alani Beckett. He won the Heisman Trophy in 2019. Right behind him is Oregon State Free Safety Jadeveon Freeman – who is actually two years younger and the better athlete of the two. I should be able to get one of them with the #4 pick in this draft.
The Vikings and Redskins each took a MLB with their picks, leaving the Dolphins before my first pick. I think I am OK with waiting until my pick to avoid trading up. The Dolphins took a RG out of South Carolina. It is my turn to pick and I am very unsure which way to go with this pick.
PLAYER
TO
FOR
2020 Round 1 Pick 4
LAR
2020 Round 1 Pick 5
2020 Round 4 Pick 101
2021 Round 6
I didn’t see myself making a decision – I decided to let the Rams trade up so I could acquire some draft capital.
The Rams took a LE out of Boston College.
I looked around for a solid trade and was really unable to find anything great. I see the free safeties lasting a few more picks, but I am unsure if I can grab one at the 10th pick. Looking at the two players, they are pretty identical. The edge here goes to Freeman, who has better measurables and is two years younger. I am going against my gut to draft a Heisman winner and will take the Beaver free safety.
Not bad! The Rams pick was a 78 overall, there are two players on the board still that rated better than Freeman.
The Colts took Beckett with the very next pick, and he is a 78 overall. Damn! This isn’t too terrible – Freeman will be better than that by the time he is 23.
My next target was a RE out of Oklahoma. He is another young player at just 21 years old. He is instant competition at RE for Randy Gregory.
My next pick is #14 – I am still in need of an OLB – but I may be drafting BPA here.
Martin Connover gives me great depth behind my elite OL.
I know I need a starting caliber OLB. Noah Hyde is there and we had a good grade on him. I also see C.J. Holiday the TE – he is projected to be a second round pick, but we graded him as an early first round pick. I’m going with the TE.
I still have picks #18, #24, #28, and #32. I would like to grab a DT, OLB, and a WR with those picks if possible.
I have Lonnie Coakley as the best player on my board right now. He is a Free Safety out of Tennessee. I feel like I could draft him and slide him over to SS – he seems pretty versatile. We have an early first round grade on him too.
The Raiders grabbed Noah Hyde at #21 – he was only a 74 OVR. WE made the right decision.
My next move was to beef up the depth at my DT position. I had a better grade on Gene McIntosh, but Braxton Sanders was similar and younger.
Ouch – a bit of a reach, but not a terrible overall.
With the 28th pick, McIntosh was still on the board.
Not a terrible reach, I can’t complain about this pick considering it is my 7th pick of the day.
With my final pick of the round, Vincent Diggs is still available.
This is great – he adds to my WR depth and allows me to trade one later on if needed.
I had a couple of picks later in the draft, and wanted to pick up a Kicker and a Punter. I first went with Kyle Stephens – who showed great power and above average accuracy.
With my final pick of the day, I took Tommy Kinney – also a Punter. One of these guys will slide over and become a Kicker for us in the future.
Wrap Up
There you have it, we are now ready for the 2020 NFL season. Things did not go as we hoped in 2019. With a good mix of talented rookies and veterans – things are looking up as we head into the next season.
I may be the worst gambler in the history of gambling. I currently have a 31-48-1 record. I am down nearly 20 units. If you want to win any money, you need to fade me. Do not follow my advice.
History
My first week of betting went fine. I only bet on NFL games. I went 8-6-1.
My second week was terrible. I went 9-21 on NFL and College games that week.
My third week was also awful – as I expanded into my fourth sport, soccer. I went 14-21 last weekend.
Overall, I have no idea what I am doing. Anyways – here are my picks for the upcoming weekend in sports:
College Football
So far this season – I have an 11-15 record with college football. I think that I can dig myself out of this hole in this specific sport with a good week.
UCF -4 @ Cincinnati
Maryland -12.5 @ Rutgers
Purdue +28 @ Penn State
Iowa +3.5 @ Michigan
Kent State @ Wisconsin -36.5
Oklahoma -33 @ Kansas
Boston College +6 @ Louisville
Texas – 10.5 @ West Virginia
Auburn @ Florida +3
Baylor +1 @ Kansas State
Virginia Tech @ Miami -14
Georgia -24.5 @ Tennessee
Cal +18 @ Oregon
Oregon State @ UCLA -6
Boise State -22.5 @ UNLV
NFL
I am 17-28-1 in NFL action this year. I need a perfect week.
As I have previously mentioned, many times before, I hate that we always have to watch the Seattle Seahawks on TV. If I wanted to watch a Seahawks game bad enough, I could drive up there. I don’t.
The beauty of the Seahawks playing on Thursday is that they do not eat up a time-slot on Sunday. I am hoping the Rams destroy the Seahawks.
CBS Early
Patriots @ Redskins
This is a gross game. At least there is another game on TV in the morning this Sunday.
Fox Early
Vikings @ Giants
Daniel Jones vs Kirk Cousins. I know that everyone had this circled on their calendar when the schedules came out.
Fox Late
Packers @ Cowboys
The Cowboys need to bounce back after a tough loss against the Saints. Hopefully they can shut down Aaron Rodgers and the Packers.
C
Sunday Night
Colts @ Chiefs
This game is alright. I love watching the Chiefs – and prefer to watch the Colts with Brissett as their QB.
Monday Night
Browns @ 49ers
This should be a fun Monday night game. Baker and the Browns against Jimmy G and the 49ers. This is the best Monday Night game of the year so far.
Wrap-Up
This is a pretty decent week of NFL action – things are looking up Portland!
We had another dud of a week in college football. The one bright spot…Clemson almost lost! That would have been awesome! Oh well.
Many contributors to Hefty Headlines were invited to participate in our Week 4 poll. Once again, we had five people respond…for the fifth week in a row:
Hefty Headlines Top 25 Poll: Week 4
The Clemson Tigers lost their place at the top of our polls. The Alabama Crimson Tide are our new #1 program – jumping Clemson and Georgia in the process. Ohio State made the jump into the top 5, and Penn State found themselves back in our top 10.
We had three teams drop out of the poll this week. Former #15 Cal, #20 Kansas state and #21 Texas A&M have all dropped out of the poll. #18 Wake Forest, #21 ASU, and #24 Baylor enter our poll this week.
Others receiving votes: Texas A&M 10, Memphis 10, Cal 7, Army 4, Michigan State 6, Minnesota 3, Appalachian State 2, BYU 1, Hawaii 1, Arizona 1.
Voting Trends
Week 5 Picks
If The CFP Happened Today…
The same 6 rotating teams every year is getting really boring… #EightWouldBeGreat
Boringggggg. These teams are too good though.
Georgia and LSU have big wins over ranked team. Alabama and Ohio State look untouchable at this point.
If you do not win your conference, you do not deserve to be in.
Heisman Picks
Chase Young should be in the running, most disruptive & unstoppable player in CFB
Holding onto TUA. Alabama out for blood
Joe Burrow is the best pure passer of the group. It is hard to evaluate the other QBs until they play decent competition. I also like what Chuba Hubbard is doing at Oklahoma State.
Joe Burrow was still throwing touchdowns over the bye week.
Previous Weeks
Pre-Season: Trevor Lawrence – QB – Clemson
Week 1: Jalen Hurts – QB – Oklahoma
Week 2: Joe Burrow – QB – LSU
Week 3: Jalen Hurts – QB – Oklahoma AND Joe Burrow – QB – LSU
Week 4: Joe Burrow – QB – LSU
Final Week Three Thoughts
Buzz: Very disappointed that North Carolina could not pull off the upset. The ACC is a weak conference. The Pac-12 gets shit on, but I believe that they have a few teams that would come out of the ACC undefeated.
Tommy Nuggets: I wish Clemson played in a real conference…must be nice to only have 2 games a season: Playoff and National Championship
Klyde Frog: At least UCLA’s JJ Molson has a brewery in his family…
Wrap Up
This was a pretty meh week for college football. Hopefully we have some upsets next weekend.
Hefty Headlines 